Electrical switch mechanism



March 1, 1960 Original Filed Dec.

M. J. DOBES ETAL ELECTRICAL SWITCH MECHANISM I l O l I I02 9 6/ 60 m3 2 T- i 93.1 7W

LA u 50 m s5 83 92 [r 97 e3 75 a 64 59 a 86 3mm MICHAEL J. 00355 4 CHARLES A SCHURR iinited rates Patent G ELECTRICAL SWITCH MECHANISM Michael J. Dobes, Cleveland, and Charles A. Schurr, Eu-

clid, Ohio, assignors to The National Acme Company, Cleveland, Ohio Original application December 39, 1954, Serial No. 478,584. Divided and this application October 28, 1957, Serial No. 693,504

3 Claims. (Cl. 200163) The present invention relates to electrical switches which are adapted to be installed on the deck of a ship in proximity to a winch and more particularly to the combination of an electrical switch and an actuating lever or handle therefor, the outer end of which is shaped to provide a guard to prevent manual rotation of the winch when the handle is moved to a position to establish a circuit to a motor for electrically operating the winch.

In ships provided'with life boats, it is the practice to provide a winch or hoist for lowering the life boat into the water and for raising it from the water to the deck of the ship. Such winches are usually operated by. an electrical motor which is connected through suitable gearing to the shaft of the winch for quickly raising the boat from the water up to a short distance from the deck of the ship. it is then the practice to interrupt the electrical circuit to the motor and to manually operate the winch to raise the boat the remaining distance. To enable the winch to be manually operated, its shaft is arranged at a suitable distance above the deck of the ship and is provided with a portion which projects from the frame of the winch to which is applied a heavy crank having an angularly-shaped recess at one end for engaging the shaft and a handle at its other end to be engaged by the operator.

In such winches, it is essential that the circuit to the motor shall be interrupted, during manual operation of the winch, to prevent accidental operation of the motor and resultant swinging of the hand which would cause serious injury to the operator. In prior practice, an electrical switch supported on a frame extending from the winch was provided for establishing and interrupting the circuit to the motor. In the switch utilized in prior practice, the stationary and movable contacts of the switch were normally maintained in spaced relation by coil springs. The switch was actuated by means of a bar pivotally mounted on the frame, one end of which engaged a plunger extending through one end of a housing for the switch to compress the coil springs and the force of the compressed springs caused the'movable contacts to engage the stationary contacts to establish a circuit to the motor, when the bar was moved to a position in which its other end constituted a guard or blocking means for the shaft of the winch. When the bar was returned to its inactive or idle position, the coil springs forced the movable contacts from engagement with the stationary contacts to interrupt the circuit to the motor.

Such structure, however, has many disadvantages. For instance, when the bar is moved to its operative position in which it blocks manual operation of the winch, the actuation of the switch is dependent upon the force of coil springs to establish the circuit to the motor and when the bar is moved to its idle or inactive position, the interruption of the circuit to the motor depends upon the force of the coil springs acting against the inner end of the plunger. It is of course well known that coil springs age in service and lose their resiliency. The metal of the switch housing surrounding the plunger and the plunger itself are also subject to corrosion which is particularly severe when they are subject to salt water sprays. In such structure, the danger is always present that the plunger of the switch will temporarily stick and fail to interrupt the circuit to the motor when the guard is moved to its idle position.

In accordance with the present invention, a switch housing is provided for the movable and stationary contacts of a switch and a lever or handle arranged outside of the switch housing and connected to the movable switch parts is provided for positively actuating the movable switch parts to establish a circuit to the moto when the handle is moved in one direction and for positively actuating the movable switch parts to interrupt the circuit to the motor when the handle is moved in the opposite direction. In the improved switch structure of the present invention, the switch housing is so constructed that it may be readily secured to the deck or a frame on the ship in proximity to a winch. The protruding shaft of said Winch is arranged above the deck of the ship so that it may be readily accessible for manual operation, and the handle and the movable contacts of the switch are so arranged, when the handle is in its lower position, the movable contacts of the switch being in spaced relation to the stationary contacts of the switch, to establish a circuit to the motor. In the present switch construction, the handle or lever of the switch is of sufficient length and is provided at its outer-end with a guard or blocking means which extends in front of the shaft of the winch to prevent application of a crank thereto when the movable contacts engage the stationary contacts of the switch to establish a circuit to the motor. A locking pin is associated with the handle and the switch housing and prevents movement of the switch handle between its diflerent positions prior to the removal of the locking pin. Interruption of the circuit to the motor must therefore occur before the crank is applied to the winch for manual operation and the danger to workmen during manual operation of the winch is eliminated.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved switch structure including a housing for the stationary and movable switch parts which housing is adapted to be secured to the deck of a ship in proximity to a winch, and in which a lever or handle arranged outside of the housing is provided for positively actuating the movable parts of the switch to a position in which an electrical circuit is established to the motor for electrically operating the winch when the handle is moved to one position, and for actuating the movable parts of the switch to a second position in which the circuit to the motor is interrupted when the handle is moved to a second position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved switch structure including a housing for protecting the stationary and movable contacts of the switch from corrosion which housing is adapted to be secured to a ship in proximity to a winch and in which a lever or handle arranged outside of the switch is connected to the movable parts of the switch and is movable in one direction to interrupt the circuit to the motor and in the opposite direction to establish a circuit to the motor and in which blocking means associated with lever or handle is .provided for preventing application of a crank to the shaft of the winch when the handle is moved in a direction to establish a circuit to the motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved switch structure including a housing for the stationary and movable parts of the switch which housing is adapted to be secured to the deck of a ship in proximity to a winch having a shaft projecting above the deck of the ship and in which a lever or handle connected to the movable parts of the switch is arranged outside of the switch housing and is movable from a raised position to substantially horizontal position along side of the housing to interrupt the circuit to the motor and from a substantially horizontal position 'to a substantially vertical positionto establish a circuit to the motor and in which the lever or handle is provided' with a guardfwhich extends in front of the projecting shaft of the 'winch to prevent application of a crank to the shaft of the winch when the handle is in its vertical position.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of'the switch and a housing therefor the cover of the housingremoved; and Fig; 2 is a cross sectional view-.ofsthe switch structure 7 shown in Fig. 1 taken on 'aQplane passinglnthrough the line 2+2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of .the arrows with the cover of theswitchin place andshowing the handle in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in asecondposition. I. i

Referring to the drawing, a switch housing 59 is provided having a cover 60, which is secured to the walls of the housing by suitable means, such asncap screws 61, which extend through a sealing gasket ,621into. the Wall. The bottom wall of the housing extends beyond its end walls as indicated by the numerals 63 and 64 and each extension is provided with an aperture 65 through which screws or bolts may be inserted to secure the housing to the deck of -a ship in proximity to a winch-.66 having a shaft 67 projecting therefrom, the outer portion of which is, angular in shape toreceive a crank for manually operating the winch. 7

'A pair of stationary contacts 68 and 69 are arranged with-in the housing and a pair of contacts 70 and 71 are provided which are movable into and from engagement with the stationary contacts by means of a lever or handle "72 arranged outside of the housing. I The stationary contacts are maintained above the bottom of the housing by suitable means, such as a pair of spaced supports 73 formed of electrically insulating material, one of which is secured to a boss 74 extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the housing adjacent one side wall and the other of which is secured to a boss 75 extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the housing adjacent the opposite side wall, a screw 76 being provided to secure each support in place.

Each of the stationary contacts consists of an angleshaped. bracket 77 which is secured in place by suitable means, such as bolts '78 and 79, extending vertically through one arm of the bracket and being threaded into the support and bolts 78' and 79' extending through the support and being threaded into the other arm of the brackets. Each of the bolts is in electrical engagement with the bracket and either may serve as a terminal post for conductors leading into and from the stationary contacts.

The brackets are each providedwith a pair of resilient arms 80 and 81'which may be formed integral with the bracket or they may be secured to the bracket bysuitable means, such as Welding, and to maintain arms 80 and '81 in sufficrently close proximity to each other to' frictionally receive the movable contacts 70 and 71, a bolt- 82 extending through apertures in the arms is provided with an adjusting nut 83.

When the movable contacts are in engagement with the stationary contacts to establish a circuit to the motor for electrically operating the winch, the handle or lever 72 1s in a vertical position in which its upper end portion forms'a guard or blocking means for the shaft of the winch and means are provided for locking the handle in ts vert cal position. For this purpose, the extension 64 is provided having oppositely disposed side walls 84 and 85 through which are aligned apertures. A lug 86 extends upwardly from the bottom wall of the housing. The

7 lug 86 provides a stop and prevents the upper end .of the lever or handle 75 from engaging shaft 67 of the winch and a removable pin 87 extending through the apertures 4 in the side walls 84 and of the extension 64 prevents downward movement of thehandle or lever 72.

After the life boat hasbeen raised by the electrical motor to a short distance from the deck of the ship, pin 87 is removed from th sidewalls of the extension and the handle or lever is lowered'to its horizontal position, and means connected to the handleand the; movable contacts are provided to interrupt the circuit tothe motor. For this purpose, a boss 88 which may be formed integral with or welded to the bottom wall of the housing is provided with a cylindrical bore in which a cylindrical shaft 89 is reciprocally mounted. The shaft '89 has; an annular recess adjacent itsinner end'to'receive an'Q-shap'ed sealing ring 90. Secured to the inner end of the shaft'is a pair of arms 91-and92-be tween which is arranged one end of a bar 93,formed of insulating'material, which is secured to the arms by suitable means, such as bolt 94. The opposite: end of bar 93 carries a stripy95 of electrically conductive metal, 'which'is secured therein by bolts 94a. The outer ends of the metal strip form the movable contacts 70 and 71.

The shaft 89 is connected to and reciprocated by means of the handle or lever 72 which may be moved between its vertical positionas shown in full lines to its horizontal position as sh'ownin dotted lines; For this purpose, the outer end of shaft 89 is provided with spaced bars 96 and 97 each of which is provided with a rectangularlyshaped notch 98, which notchesare arrangedin alignment with each other. The lower portion of the lever or handle 72 is provided with a bracket 99,- which is secured to the lower end portion of the lever or handle 72 by suitable means, such as bolts 99a. The bracket has a seat 101 which engages a pin 102, the opposite ends of which are anchored in the side walls 84 and 85 of the extension 64 of the switch housing. Preferably the pin is provided with an annular channel which engages with the slot on the bracket andn's clamped in place by the bracket which holds it against the lever 72;

With the parts in the position'shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be apparent that'when the locking pin 87 is removed, the lever or handle 72 may be pivoted on the pin 102 to its horizontal dotted line position shown in Fig. 6 and that when it is rotated on'it's" pivot, pin 103 will be forced downwardly and outwardly as indicated by the arrow B to move piston 89 outwardly to move contacts 70 and 71 from engagement'with the arms 80 and 81 of stationary contacts68'and69 to interrupt the circuit to' the motor. When handle 72 is moved downwardly, access is provided to shaft 67 for applying a crank to manually operate the winch. I As shown in the drawings, the switch housing is provided. with an outlet opening 104 to receive conductors extending between a source of electrical energy and the switch and between the switch and the motor, and a suitable conduit pipe for'the conductors, not shown, may be threaded into the outlet opening to receive the conductors. 7

Means are also provided to lock the bar in its horizontal position. For this purpose, a U-shaped bracket 105 is secured to the upper end of lever or handle 72 with the arms extending outwardly therefrom and being provided with an aperture 106.v The opposite sides of the extension 63 of the switch housing are also provided With apertures 107 and 108 and when the handle or lever 72 is moved to its horizontal position, aperture 106 in the bracket 105 are in alignment with apertures 107 and 108 in-the side Walls of extension 63 and the pin 87 may be inserted through the aligned apertures to lock the lever in its horizontal position.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a switch which is fully protected from the elements and one wherein the mechanism is greatly simplified and which is positive in its operation. Its simplicity makes it easily installed and economical to manufacture. Since there are no springs to rust, corrode or fatigue it is capable of an extremely long life without need for service. Since the operation is positive both on opening and closing there is no danger due to a circuit being closed when it should be open. Furthermore since the operating lever also acts as a protective guard against the installation of a handle on a winch when the switch is closed it eliminates the danger of the motor circuit being energized when the manual hand crank is in position. Inasmuch as the operating hand is directly connected to the movable switch contacts there is no lost motion and the contacts may be quickly engaged and disengaged. This structure also lends to a compactness which also increases its versatility of installation.

Having thus described our invention we are aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the structure shown without departing from the spirit of the invention as is set forth in the appended claims.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 478,584, filed December 30, 1954.

We claim:

1. A switch structure for establishing an electric circuit to a motor for electrically operating a winch and for providing a guard for the shaft of the winch when a circuit is established to the motor, said switch structure including a housing, a pair of stationary contacts and a pair of movable contacts arranged within the housing, means for electrically connecting the movable contacts together, means for insulating the stationary contacts from the housing and maintaining them in spaced relation to each other, a movable handle arranged outside of said housing, a guard secured to one end of said handle, a block arranged within the housing and provided with a cylindrical bore, a shaft reciprocable in said bore, a bar formed of electrically insulating material, one end of which is connected to the inner end of the shaft and the other end of which supports the movable contacts, means interconnecting the handle and the shaft to move the shaft in said bore in response to movement of the handle, and said handle being movable from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position to force the movable contacts into engagement with the stationary contacts to establish a circuit to the motor for electrically operating the winch and to arrange said guard opposite to the shaft of the winch to form blocking means therefor and said handle being movable from a vertical position to a substantially horizontal position to interrupt the circuit to the motor and to provide access to the shaft of said winch for manual operation.

2. A switch structure for establishing an electric circuit to a motor for electrically operating a winch and for providing a guard for the shaft of the winch when a circuit is established to the motor, said switch structure including a housing, a pair of stationary contacts and a pair of movable contacts arranged Within the housing, means for electrically connecting the movable contacts together, means for insulating the stationary contacts from the housing and maintaining them in spaced relation to each other, a handle arranged outside of said housing, a guard secured to the outer end of said handle, said housing having an extension provided with side walls, said handle at its inner end extending between said side Walls of said extension, a block arranged within the housing and provided with a cylindrical bore, a shaft reciprocably mounted in said bore, a bar formed of electrically insulatin material, one end of which is connected to the inner end of the shaft and the other end of which supports the movable contacts, means connected to the outer end of the shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom and connected to the inner end of the handle, a bracket having a web secured to the inner end of said handle and side walls extending rearwardly from the web, means pivotally mounting the handle between the side walls of the extension including a pin extending through the side walls of said bracket and having its opposite ends anchored in the side walls of said extension, and said handle being movable from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position to move the shaft inwardly and force the movable contacts into engagement with the stationary contacts to establish a circuit to the motor for electrically operating the winch and to arrange said guard opposite to the shaft of the winch to form blocking means therefor and said handle. being movable from a vertical position to a substantially horizontal position to move the shaft outwardly and disengage the movable contacts from the stationary contacts to interrupt the circuit to the motor and to provide access to the shaft of said winch for manual operation.

3. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the connection between the shaft and handle comprises a vertically extending slot in the shaft and a pin on said web disposed in said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,492,101 Landmeier Dec. 20, 1949 

